Future extensions

In its current shape Wayfarer uses predefined virtual landscapes. The students can discover and explore the map but they cannot change it. Future versions of Wayfarer can include student built maps, tasks, and settings.
Major modelling software companies currently address a wider user market for 3D modelling and game content design. Especially gMax (http://www2.discreet.com/games/dc_gmax1.html) heads towards strong “consumer content editing”. These ongoing developments combined with still growing processing power of the standard costumer PC will allow a far wider creative access to students in future Wayfarer extensions. In other words, students will create their own maps, own characters, and own tasks. 

At its heart the Wayfarer design is about problem solving and along the solution of the problem (navigating through an unknown environment by using a map) lays the educational value (understanding map reading and orientation).
A future extension might concentrate more on this aspect. Team building and inner team communication would add another layer of problem solving. The students would have to share responsibilities within their team and solve more specialised problems (for a first step in that direction see the “DotBall” proposal).
Other implementations might include emergency exercises (see InterFIRE VR, although this is not a multi-user shared VR), cultural excursions (see “Treasure Hunt” and “MTV” proposal), or scientific virtual experiments (see the VRRV project). These settings usually consist of a set of predefined problems that have to be solved. Wayfarer already externalises the problem-solving task by using a hardcover “real” map in combination with a hybrid “virtual” 3D world. The map can be read and interpreted by many students at the same time, and although only one student might steer the virtual character in the world, the problem solving itself already can be envisioned as a team process. 

In a shared online environment (see “CounterStrike” or VRML worlds) can spread the team globally to any connected school. Different students fulfilling different tasks could be located physically in different countries. This global accessibility can be used to spread the content even further towards a shared 3D VR classroom, an online portal for inter-school communication. Language classes, history classes, sport competitions, Wayfarer meetings etc. could happen online. 
Elements of commercial portals could be included, such as registration, secure log in, and content control, in order to guarantee a “safe” introduction of adolescents to the Internet. The Active Worlds Educational network already heads into that direction but is restricted by the limitations of VRML. Wayfarer on the other side is based on CD-ROM game technology and can offer a better graphical performance.

Future extensions might include
•	modelling by students and
•	team building leading towards
•	enhanced communication in a
•	shared virtual environment that functions as an
•	online portal